Plant Room Construction

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by Oscarman

I tihnk too much money for LED. I am already in very deep due to the complete basement reno. Hence the slowdown in plant room development and posts.

Don't laugh too hard, summer here tops out at 35° C (95°F)! Compensated of course by winter bottoming out at -35°C (-31°F)

I've seen systems actually rated at one thousand watts priced at 2-5 grand.

pretty insane, but I guess the big advantage to LED's is that the light they produce is better absorbed by the plant (something like 90% while reg HIDS are usually somewhere between 10-20%)

[got ants]

Originally Posted by Brotherly Monkey

I've seen systems actually rated at one thousand watts priced at 2-5 grand.

pretty insane, but I guess the big advantage to LED's is that the light they produce is better absorbed by the plant (something like 90% while reg HIDS are usually somewhere between 10-20%)

That's what I was thinking. He has a major investment already, why short change it now? I guess the issue may be more of an unknown. I've seen those numbers before, but only by those selling the LEDs.

I would think in the long term, the advantages would out weigh the disadvantages..

Less power consumption
Lower heat output
Longer bulb life

Besides the purported advantage of better plant growth.

[littlefrog]

What I've heard about plant growth is mixed at best... I'm willing to do my own experiments with LEDs, but I can't afford it.

Here is an idea for LED lighting that a friend of mine gave me a couple days ago. Get a string of LED X-mas lights and a foam board or something to shove them into. Pack them in as tight as you can. Plug in. Might cost less than $10 with a good after christmas sale. What I'm not sure about is which colors of bulbs to use. You couldn't just use all one color, LEDs have very small output spectra. Interesting idea though.

Rob

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by littlefrog

What I've heard about plant growth is mixed at best... I'm willing to do my own experiments with LEDs, but I can't afford it.

Here is an idea for LED lighting that a friend of mine gave me a couple days ago. Get a string of LED X-mas lights and a foam board or something to shove them into. Pack them in as tight as you can. Plug in. Might cost less than $10 with a good after christmas sale. What I'm not sure about is which colors of bulbs to use. You couldn't just use all one color, LEDs have very small output spectra. Interesting idea though.

Rob

I would also worry about the wattage rating. If I remember right, the very minimum you want for growing is 1 watt per bulb

[littlefrog]

Yeah, like I said, it was an idea. Supposedly somebody tried this, but it is anecdotal. Plural of anecdote is not data...

I still might try it.

Rob

[Oscarman]

For me they are too new, too expensive and benefits, documented results to new too.

I was just at Big Al's Aquariums and looking at LED systems for salt tanks. They seem like the ideal thing for high output and low heat, but I wonder about the quality of light the further you get from the fixtures.

How close do LED lights have to be to the orchids?

In my room I would like the lights at ceiling level and illuminating horizontally to the walls as well as downwards.

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by Oscarman

For me they are too new, too expensive and benefits, documented results to new too.

I was just at Big Al's Aquariums and looking at LED systems for salt tanks. They seem like the ideal thing for high output and low heat, but I wonder about the quality of light the further you get from the fixtures.

How close do LED lights have to be to the orchids?

In my room I would like the lights at ceiling level and illuminating horizontally to the walls as well as downwards.

I don't have any specific experience with them. But when i have seen them used in high light application, they were only a few inches from the plants. i think some of the higher powered systems, 600-1000 real watts, give you a bit more space. But at that point you're looking at lights that are going to cost a couple grand a piece.

and for me, that just seems a bit insane

[Brotherly Monkey]

Originally Posted by littlefrog

Yeah, like I said, it was an idea. Supposedly somebody tried this, but it is anecdotal. Plural of anecdote is not data...

I still might try it.

Rob

did the person mention if they measured the FCs from the system, at all?

[littlefrog]

Originally Posted by Brotherly Monkey

did the person mention if they measured the FCs from the system, at all?

Not that I know of. Like I said, anecdotal... Quote was 'It worked'. How well? I have trouble believing it worked at all, but maybe. Hard to tell without data, a lightmeter would be a step in the right direction. But, I really have my doubts about light meters and artificial light setups. Most meters don't do a very good job with fluorescent lights, much less LEDs which you would assume have a very tight spectrum.

Now I could be dating myself, new meters might be better. I haven't used one in 15 years. I use the shadow of my hand and the way the plants look as my light meter.

Rob